official in the State of Illinois and likely the first Moroccan-American elected official in the Country. From the moment he entered the General Assembly in Springfield, he began pushing for serious, common sense reforms that brought the respect of good government and consumer's rights groups from all over the ideological spectrum. In 2003, John worked with then-State Senator Barack Obama to pass the most comprehensive ethics bill in the history of Illinois. He was a champion of many issues, from ethics reform to consumer protection to health care to fairer taxes who consistently showed that he was not afraid to buck party leadership and stand up for his constituents and all of Illinois. He additionally helped pass legislation that strengthened environmental preservation laws, expanded protected wilderness areas, and increased investment in renewable energy. The Illinois Environment Council honored John for his 100% voting record on environmental issues impacting the community and its resources. In 2000, as a result of his effective leadership and centrist views, the national Democratic Leadership Council, a national voice for a reform movement reshaping American politics by moving it beyond the old left-right debate, named John as one of their "100 Rising Stars to Watch" in the country. In 2003, John was one of a select group to receive this honor for a second time. Fritchey was Chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee from 1999 to 2002. John later served as the Chairman of the Civil Judiciary Committee and as Vice-Chairman of the Business & Occupational Licenses Committee. In addition to serving in these leadership positions, John sat on the Financial Institutions, Insurance, and Mass Transit Committees and was appointed to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. As State Representative, Fritchey addressed a variety of issues on behalf of IIllinois residents. These included: In 2002, as Chairman of the Consumer Protection, Fritchey took on the financial institutions by introducing legislation to rein in escalating ATM fees. In response to continuing corruption scandals in state politics involving pay-to-play dealmaking, Fritchey introduced House Bill 1, legislation to prevent politicians from receiving campaign donations from people or businesses interested in securing state grants or contracts. In a first of its kind in the United States, Fritchey drafted and passed legislation creating a registry for anyone found guilty of violent offenses toward children as a way to reduce future acts of violence by convicted offenders. With the support of Planned